Soft-Close Trunk; Literally a Ten- Minute Fix! (Thanks Mishar)
#1
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Soft-Close Trunk; Literally a Ten- Minute Fix! (Thanks Mishar)
I've been putting it off for one reason or another for two years. Today I fixed it using only a pry tool to get the little trim fasteners out and a pair of needle-nose pliers!
The spring is not much bigger than a pen spring. Only one trim piece has to come off!
I am HAPPY!
I took pictures, hopefully I'll have time to post them soon!
Thanks Misha!
-Tom
The spring is not much bigger than a pen spring. Only one trim piece has to come off!
I am HAPPY!
I took pictures, hopefully I'll have time to post them soon!
Thanks Misha!
-Tom
#3
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Can you hear the motor function when you shut the lid? Here are two pics; one without the spring and one with the spring in place, which holds the latch up. (in reverse order).
I'm afraid your motor may not be trying. Pretty sure the switch is in the lid part of the latch. Could be that, or the motor or fuse, of course.
I'm afraid your motor may not be trying. Pretty sure the switch is in the lid part of the latch. Could be that, or the motor or fuse, of course.
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Karbonblack (04-23-2023)
#4
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With my car, the cable end came off at the motor location.
The motor still works and I have another motor coming from the USA (Aussie price is around $600 for that motor)
If the cable breaks, you have to buy a new motor with the striker plate. I have tried rebuilding mine but it only lasted about a month.
The motor still works and I have another motor coming from the USA (Aussie price is around $600 for that motor)
If the cable breaks, you have to buy a new motor with the striker plate. I have tried rebuilding mine but it only lasted about a month.
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
questions...
I've been putting it off for one reason or another for two years. Today I fixed it using only a pry tool to get the little trim fasteners out and a pair of needle-nose pliers!
The spring is not much bigger than a pen spring. Only one trim piece has to come off!
I am HAPPY!
I took pictures, hopefully I'll have time to post them soon!
Thanks Misha!
-Tom
The spring is not much bigger than a pen spring. Only one trim piece has to come off!
I am HAPPY!
I took pictures, hopefully I'll have time to post them soon!
Thanks Misha!
-Tom
Is that spring an Audi part or hardware store part ? And if hardware store, tell us the length, type of ends, and number of coils if tension amount is critical. Mine has no spring, which would be one reason I dont have soft close.
Could not find a fuse location in the manual for trunk soft-close, does your manual list a location ?
And as to the soft-close motor...if you have your lid open and trip the latch with a screw driver does that activate the soft close motor ? Just trying to think of a way to tell if my motor works or not.
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My spring was lying in all the junk left of the latch about two feet from the latch. It's in a place behind the big trim piece you remove to access the latch, so look carefully, it might be there.
Definitely hardware store part. It pulls quite strongly judging from its coiled length vs its extended length. The thing it pulls moves quite freely, though.
I'll go trip the latch in a minute and report back but IIRC there is a microswitch in the lid part of the latch. Maybe that's your problem.
Does the rest of your latch look like mine, or do you think they made some without the soft-close?
(Tsk, tsk; he has a power-folding rear-seat executive package desk but has to slam his trunk like a hyundai. )
Whoops, was that out loud?
Definitely hardware store part. It pulls quite strongly judging from its coiled length vs its extended length. The thing it pulls moves quite freely, though.
I'll go trip the latch in a minute and report back but IIRC there is a microswitch in the lid part of the latch. Maybe that's your problem.
Does the rest of your latch look like mine, or do you think they made some without the soft-close?
(Tsk, tsk; he has a power-folding rear-seat executive package desk but has to slam his trunk like a hyundai. )
Whoops, was that out loud?
#7
AudiWorld Senior Member
found spring BUT...
My spring was lying in all the junk left of the latch about two feet from the latch. It's in a place behind the big trim piece you remove to access the latch, so look carefully, it might be there.
Definitely hardware store part. It pulls quite strongly judging from its coiled length vs its extended length. The thing it pulls moves quite freely, though.
I'll go trip the latch in a minute and report back but IIRC there is a microswitch in the lid part of the latch. Maybe that's your problem.
Does the rest of your latch look like mine, or do you think they made some without the soft-close?
(Tsk, tsk; he has a power-folding rear-seat executive package desk but has to slam his trunk like a hyundai. )
Whoops, was that out loud?
Definitely hardware store part. It pulls quite strongly judging from its coiled length vs its extended length. The thing it pulls moves quite freely, though.
I'll go trip the latch in a minute and report back but IIRC there is a microswitch in the lid part of the latch. Maybe that's your problem.
Does the rest of your latch look like mine, or do you think they made some without the soft-close?
(Tsk, tsk; he has a power-folding rear-seat executive package desk but has to slam his trunk like a hyundai. )
Whoops, was that out loud?
something is not right. By looking at your pics, and looking at my mechanism, it looks like the striker rod (if thats the right term) moves up and down via a cam pulled by the cable to effect the soft close. In your pic the spring is not under tension, and the cable end is close to the striker rod and obviously slack...ne==hense the relaxed spring. On my car the spring is stretched over to the cable end which is at its farthest travel from the striker rod. Wnen I trip the lid mechanism on the open lid to make it think its closed, then 'open' with key button, I hear the soft close motor cycle. But it will not let the cable return from the open position that I found the mechaism in.
I have gotten by these 5 years (because I did not know any of this)by adjusting the whole striker unit higher so that the deck lid would latch just by falling on the striker rod.
Would I gain anything by fixing this besides a soft, quiet close as opposed to a thud ?
And what would it take to fix...new motor/latch assembly ? The lid portion was replaced about two tears ago, so I am assuming the micro switches are not the problem, but maybe...
What a can of worms !!
Last edited by awdinut; 05-20-2014 at 12:05 PM.
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#8
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something is not right. By looking at your pics, and looking at my mechanism, it looks like the striker rod (if thats the right term) moves up and down via a cam pulled by the cable to effect the soft close. In your pic the spring is not under tension, Au contraire, it is pulling quite a lot of tension - note the headstone-shaped plate is protruding from the top of its guideand the cable end is close to the striker rod and obviously slack...ne==hense the relaxed spring. On my car the spring is stretched over to the cable end which is at its farthest travel from the striker rod. Wnen I trip the lid mechanism on the open lid to make it think its closed, then 'open' with key button, I hear the soft close motor cycle. But it will not let the cable return from the open position that I found the mechaism in. Maybe they attached the spring at the wrong point on yours?
I have gotten by these 5 years (because I did not know any of this)by adjusting the whole striker unit higher so that the deck lid would latch just by falling on the striker rod.
Would I gain anything by fixing this besides a soft, quiet close as opposed to a thud ?
Oh, it's a very big improvement for those in the car! Plus my neighbors probably appreciate not hearing multiple whumps.
And what would it take to fix...new motor/latch assembly ? The lid portion was replaced about two tears ago, so I am assuming the micro switches are not the problem, but maybe...
What a can of worms !!
I have gotten by these 5 years (because I did not know any of this)by adjusting the whole striker unit higher so that the deck lid would latch just by falling on the striker rod.
Would I gain anything by fixing this besides a soft, quiet close as opposed to a thud ?
Oh, it's a very big improvement for those in the car! Plus my neighbors probably appreciate not hearing multiple whumps.
And what would it take to fix...new motor/latch assembly ? The lid portion was replaced about two tears ago, so I am assuming the micro switches are not the problem, but maybe...
What a can of worms !!
Then if I activate the open switch in the lid, latch releases, the motor again runs, this time moving the rod upward.
I think someone wired your motor wrong. Sounds like it's working the opposite of the way it should! Open your trunk, keep the lid up and cycle it fooling the lid latch with a screwdriver.
#9
AudiWorld Senior Member
hmmmm...
My motor does not cycle when I 'close' the lid latch, but I think thats 'cause the striker latch cam/lever are in the 'closed position' and a micro switch in the motor drive is not turning on the motor. But when I 'open' the latch the motor cycles because it knows it was 'closed' before. So, since the cable does not extend out to move the rod upwards, I guess the cable might be frozen.
Prying to slacken the cable does no good. Getting a used unit to put in the car will be the only way to know, it seems to me. And I dont know really what it matters. If it was an easy fix like yours Id be done now, but its not.
Thanks for the input Atomic, it was worth a try.
Oh, by the way, as the old saying goes, 'poor folks have poor ways'...both of my tray tables are of the manual (read less expensive) type and I must open them by hand !
My motor does not cycle when I 'close' the lid latch, but I think thats 'cause the striker latch cam/lever are in the 'closed position' and a micro switch in the motor drive is not turning on the motor. But when I 'open' the latch the motor cycles because it knows it was 'closed' before. So, since the cable does not extend out to move the rod upwards, I guess the cable might be frozen.
Prying to slacken the cable does no good. Getting a used unit to put in the car will be the only way to know, it seems to me. And I dont know really what it matters. If it was an easy fix like yours Id be done now, but its not.
Thanks for the input Atomic, it was worth a try.
Oh, by the way, as the old saying goes, 'poor folks have poor ways'...both of my tray tables are of the manual (read less expensive) type and I must open them by hand !